1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electronic messaging system and more particularly relates to World Wide Web ("Web") interface and method for displaying and accessing directory information.
2. Description of the Background
Electronic directories are evolving into important information tools having a myriad of applications. They operate much like a printed directory; that is, they provide names, locations and other information about people, products, equipment and organizations. First generation network directories were designed for a particular application, such as an employee or e-mail system directory, and thus had limited usefulness outside the scope of the application. However, the growth of local area networks (LANs), heterogeneous e-mail networks, the Internet, and other electronic communications media such as telephone and fax has resulted in enterprises having to manage a hodgepodge of proprietary directory systems. These directory systems rarely interoperate, are costly to maintain, and frequently contain redundant information. Enterprises today are finding a need to unify these disparate directories with a single standards-based directory to reduce maintenance costs and provide universal access through well-defined interfaces. Most directory vendors have chosen X.500 as the technology best suited to meet this need.
Until recently, users could only access information contained in an X.500 directory through specialized applications called directory user agents, or DUAs. DUAs were typically limited in functionality, because (a) they were tailored for particular X.500 implementations, making them unable to interoperate with other X.500 directories, and (b) they typically displayed directory information in a fixed format, with little, if any, ability to customize the presentation of data.
Another shortcoming of existing directory access systems is that they fail to provide users with access to directory information via a World Wide Web ("Web") interface in a configurable manner. Neither the format in which the information is published nor the particular content of the information is customizable. The end result therefore looks the same for any user requesting the information, irrespective of whether the user is linked via an internal network, such as a corporate intranet, or via an external network, such as the Internet. Moreover, the location or identification of the user does not affect the type of information that is provided. This may result in the disclosure of personal or otherwise secure information (such as a home telephone number) to unintended recipients.